Chloé - the Parisian revolutionary

Gabriella Hanoka grew up in Alexandria in Egypt in a very cosmopolitan family. She was interested in fashion, colours and cuts very early on. Gabriella, also called Gaby, finally married her childhood sweetheart Raymond Aghion and moved to Paris with him in 1945. As Gaby Aghion she designed her first small collections there, employed staff and finally founded the fashion company Chloé in 1952 together with the entrepreneur Jacques Lenoir. By the way, the fashion label's name patron was a good friend of hers. Her first collection was characterised by romantic elegance combined with fine fabrics and original details. Gaby Aghion and Chloé coined the term "Prêt-à-porter" at the time, which first established itself in Paris in the 1950s. Because the fashion house's playful, casual, casual garments were available for purchase off the shelf in small boutiques directly after the fashion shows. This was quite a revolution for the classic, somewhat stiff and slightly dusty haute couture scene in Paris.

The It-Pieces and their designers

With Gérard Pipart, Chloé brought an external fashion designer on board for the first time in 1958. With him began the decades-long tradition of naming Chloé's creations alphabetically. It was not until 1987 that this custom was broken, but it was resumed in the accessories collection introduced in 2012.

Chloé has had great success with young women through Pipart and his style. With the engagement of Karl Lagerfeld in the mid-70s as an exclusive designer, the incomparable casualness and charm was shaped and redefined once again. It pieces such as the classically casual silk blouse or the legendary T-shirt dresses caused a sensation in Paris. But also the proud wearers of the collections are not unknown: Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Kennedy or Grace Kelly were declared fans of the everyday high-fashion brand Chloé.

How Lagerfeld shaped Chloé

Lagerfeld's 20-year creative period defined the incomparable look of the brand like no other. With the world-famous Chloé Cape, Lagerfeld once again proved that fashion need not be restrictive, but can just as easily be an elegant, classic symbol of freedom of movement. The timeless silk trousers, a trademark since time immemorial, shaped the unmistakable bohemian style and the increasingly strong identity of the cult brand. The first perfume, a floral ode to today's feminine woman, was launched in 1975. Lagerfeld often drew inspiration for his collections for Chloé from contemporary and old art from antiquity to Art Nouveau.

Chloé in constant change

Chloé once again caused a sensation on the fashion scene when the new creative director Stella McCartney was signed on in 1997 at the tender age of only 25. She brought a breath of fresh air and created the brand's new sexy look with a young mix of vintage chic and strict yet casual cuts. From then on, however, Chloé no longer limited herself to fashion, but also established herself with bags, shoes and the somewhat cheaper second line "See by Chloé", which is in no way inferior to its big sister brand in terms of fashion. The new it-bags - often in huge dimensions and with the famous big castles - spread in no time in the fashion scene. The classic wedge heel shoes, which Chloé established for itself as a revival of the 70s, quickly became a classic. The new guard of declared Chloé fans today includes Hollywood stars such as Kirsten Dunst and Natalie Portman.

And you too can participate in the unique success story of Chloé with our designer second-hand pieces at Vite EnVogue!